2012 Jane Tomlinson Walk For All: Councillors promote charity effort to top of their agenda

The Labour Party stalwarts included council leader Keith Wakefield who, at 64, was one of the eldest on the day.

He was looking a little bedraggled by the end but it was worth it to raise about £2,000 for the Jane Tomlinson charity and St Gemma’s hospice in Leeds.

“We are planning to do the 26 miles next year. The views are amazing and it is very well organised,” Coun Wakefield said.

Fellow councillor Adam Ogilvie said: “It has been a fantastic day. We got wet but this cooled us down. It has been great fun and we have helped some good causes.”

Feeling a little soggy was Graeme Richardson who travelled up from Horsforth in Leeds to walk 14 miles. He has epilepsy and is partially sighted but decided to walk the course on his own.

“This is my first time fund-raising. I thought I would lose some weight as well as raise money for Epilepsy Action. I hope to raise over £200 from sponsorship. I am partially sighted but will be relying on the course marshals to get me to the finish.”

Friends Tim Lonsborough, 33, and Sarah Preston, 40, chose to raise money for Bega Kwa Bega (Shoulder to Shoulder) which carries out health and education projects in Uganda.

Sarah, an administrator at Hull University, said: “I spent time working as a volunteer in Kenya and heard about this charity. We hope to raise £1,000.”

Walkers Tammy Reynard and Rebecca Schofield had set themselves two big targets – raising, with colleagues in Skipton, £12,000 for Martin House hospice and walking 26 miles.